The present invention relates to a connector provided with a retainer.
One example of an electrical connector provided with a retainer for maintaining terminal fittings in an unremovable state is described in JP 1-60474. This connector is provided with a female housing which fits into a corresponding male housing. The female housing is provided with cavities into which terminal fittings are inserted. A retainer can be inserted from the side so as to intersect with each of these cavities. The terminal fittings are retained when the retainer has been inserted to a depth whereby an outer face thereof forms an approximately unified face with an outer side face of the female housing.
In the case where the retainer is halted in a half-inserted state (this being to the outer side of a correct position for retaining the terminal fittings) and the two housings are fitted together, the portion of the retainer that protrudes from the outer side face of the female housing strikes against an anterior end of the male housing. This prevents the fitting operation from continuing, and allows one to detect that the retainer is in a half-inserted state.
The terminal fittings which are retained by the retainer have their retained portions located close to the center of the female housing (relative to the lengthwise direction thereof). Consequently, the two housings have reached a location close to the center of their fitting depth at the time when the fitting operation is prevented from continuing. As a result, it may be difficult to separate these two housings once more.
Moreover, the male housing is provided with a hood which fits with the female housing, and a terminal housing member for housing male terminal fittings is provided to the posterior of the hood. The retainer is attached to this terminal housing member.
Since the terminal housing member is located to the posterior of the hood which fits with the female housing, the retainer is located in a position which does not interfere with the female housing. Consequently, the half-inserted state of this retainer cannot easily be detected.
The present invention has taken the above problem into consideration, and aims to present a connector wherein the half-inserted state of the retainer is detected at a location to the anterior of the retainer, relative to the fitting direction of the two connector housings.
According to the invention there is provided a connector comprising two connector housings engageable along a fitting direction, to a fully fitted condition, said connector housings having respective terminals therein, and a retainer insertable in one of said housings at right angles to said fitting direction to a final position whereby terminals in said one housing are retained, characterized in that said retainer includes a projection extending in the fitting direction towards the other housing, and said other housing having a regulating member for contact with said projection and adapted to prevent movement of said housings to the fully fitted condition in the event that said retainer is not in the final position. Such a projection ensures that full engagement of said housings is prevented at a small insertion depth; accordingly separation of the connectors is facilitated.
Preferably the projection passes to the side of the regulating member as the housings are fully inserted, and thus prevents subsequent removal of the retainer until the housings are separated.
The regulating member may be a channel or a projection. The projection is preferably exterior to said one housing.
In a preferred embodiment the projection is also a latching arm engageable with the other housing to maintain said housings in the fully fitted condition. Thus the retainer can provide a dual function, and permit said one housing to be latchable or non-latchable, as required.